I agree dead minnows can work fairly well in cold water. Fish are sluggish and just a very scuttle movement to help catch there eye is all that is needed. However as water temps. warm they become more active and a lively minnow seems to worm much better. I ice fish for them and you can dead stick a dead minnow and do very well. However by mid May I like to use medium fast swimming jigs. Friends fish for largemouths in summer and catch some really nice crappie on crank baits retrieved at a fairly high rate of speed. I do not believe that would work at all right after ice out do to the cold water. Also as above poster stated dead minnows deteriorate fairly rapidly especially in warmer weather and warmer water. We freeze dead minnows and give them to guys who may run out of minnows while fishing. Or if we run out of live minnows we can atleast give them a dozen of frozen ones and not loose a customer.

I assume everyone has had a chance to respond so thank you very much. This helps the shop owner sell them for a fare price. Also that is a great price for medium minnows DHC. Not sure he is making much or even any profit assuming he pays about the same price per LB. as we pay.

I assume everyone has had a chance to respond so thank you very much. This helps the shop owner sell them for a fare price. Also that is a great price for medium minnows DHC. Not sure he is making much or even any profit assuming he pays about the same price per LB. as we pay.

If your buddy is paying retail price for minnows, I'd suggest he shop around some. Surely there are bait farms up that way too. Around here the stores pay $11 per pound for shiners and toughies. The owner of a store told me that and I believe them. I know they lose a lot and I know they gotta make money and I don't begrudge them that at all. I do know that I wouldn't pay $3.50 per dozen more than once though.